Now I'm Getting Scared; VP Race

Trump on Fri. Night in West Palm Beach, FL: “Christians, get out and vote! Just this time. You won’t have to do it anymore. Four more years. You know what? It’ll be fixed! It’ll be fine! You won’t have to vote anymore, my beautiful Christians. I love you, Christians! I’m a Christian”

What is he even talking about? What will be "fixed"? His campaign put out a cryptic explanation that he was talking about "uniting the country." It sounds like he means once he's president again, he intends to stay president forever like his pals Putin, Kim Jong Un, Duarte, and Orban. They aren't even saying he was joking anymore.

Rachel Maddow and Tony Kushner,
because I didn't want to run
another picture of Trump.

Now I'm getting scared. On a long drive to Cooperstown this weekend, we listened to Season Two of Rachel Maddow's Ultra podcast about previous right-wing conspiracies to take over our small "d" democratic government. In a conversation with Tony Kushner, who is working on a screenplay based on Season One for Steven Spielberg, Maddow outlined historic earlier successful takeovers of democratic governments in Europe. She explained that the stages are gradual and subtle. First you make formerly outrageous behavior and speech part of the mainstream (like saying there are "good people" of both sides of fascism and anti-fascism.) Then you assume power in a normal, democratic way (like by running as a Republican rather than as a member of the Hitler Youth Party). Once you are in power, you change the institutions of government to suit your own ends and then it's too late to change them back to democratic ones. She cited Mussolini and Hitler being elected before they took over and being handed more power by the King of Italy and the Weimar government respectively. We are already in the second stage and Trump is sowing doubt about our institutions among his followers. The Congress can't be trusted. The courts can't be trusted. I alone can fix it, he says. That's why I'm scared. Trump is saying the quiet part out loud. I never thought he would succeed in circumventing the Constitution, but these recent remarks indicate that's what he wants.

Kamala to the Rescue?

The Prosecutor Vs. The Felon

Joe Biden's dropping out of the 2024 Presidential race was the right thing to do. If he had stayed in it would have resulted in a devastating and embarrassing defeat and a tyrannical shift to the right. The Senate and the House could have gone to the Republicans and even more right-leaning judges would have left an indelible mark on the courts, further eroding reproductive, marriage equality and LGBTQ rights. I was sitting in a restaurant on Sunday afternoon with my friend Diane eating a veggie burger when the news of Biden's decision broke. Team Trump and many in the mass media were expecting chaos to ensue. They thought there would a scramble to replace Biden since there would be objections to Harris taking the top slot because her gender and race would not make her the perfect candidate. 

But within 24 hours, Harris had smashed records in fund raising and volunteers, acquired the endorsements of almost every major Democratic leader and most of the delegates necessary to cop the nomination at the convention. Joe Manchin made brief noises about maybe being interested in challenging her, but that was shot down quickly. 

The burst of enthusiasm is due to the huge relief Dems and progressives felt after being saved from a disaster by Biden's selfless stepping aside. A blue win is by no mean a slam dunk, but at least now there is a chance we can win. Harris can benefit from the shake-up because of the double-haters--voters who despise both previous candidates. Ironically Nikki Haley made a Cassandra-like prediction during the Republican primary by saying whichever side retired their 80-year-old candidate first would be the winner. (I hope she's right.) In a further ironic side note, Republicans who hate Trump have formed a PAC called Haley Voters for Harris. Haley has issued a Cease and Desist Order to change the name since she is for Trump (like the toady she is.) The PAC has responded that they are not speaking for Haley so they shouldn't have to change their name. We'll see how that shakes out.

Reaction to Yesterday's Events in Butler, PA

Let me just say the assassination attempt on Trump was horrible and I condemn it. No one deserves that and it's terrible that someone was killed as a result and two people are in critical condition. But it's ironic that Trump, an instigator of political violence, is now the victim of it. And while I hope not, he will probably learn nothing from this horrible experience and instead of using it as a means of calling for national unity, he will likely use it as a rallying cry to divide us. Now Biden and Dems are in an awful position. They will no longer be able to criticize Trump's authoritarian tendencies. Even now, Repubs are blaming Biden and the media for this. Unfortunately, this terrible event will strengthen Trump's position. Also, he'll say nothing about getting AR-15s off the streets.

ab.

Where Are We Now? The Slow Slide to Autocracy

Will Biden stay in the race?

Are we slipping slowly to autocracy? If Trump wins a second term will our democratic institutions crumble? Will there be a silent, bloodless coup, accomplishing what Jan. 6, 2021 did not? What will America become? What exactly does Trump threaten us with?

Before the disastrous debate, I was confident Biden could win the election. But now, it looks really bad. It's not just a question of the president having a bad night. He appeared to be a doddering old man on the edge of dementia. There are reports this is not a "one-off," that he's been this way before. An announcement that he will not schedule any meeting after 8PM and he will get more sleep does not help. That paints a picture of an incompetent, daytime president. And will Biden be able to do the job at least competently through an entire second term at the end of which he will 86? 

This is not "elitist" panicking at a poor debate performance or a drama-obsessed mainstream media stirring up conflict in a mindless rush for ratings and clicks. That characterization is unfair. Maybe it works to shore up Biden's support among minorities and labor unions by calling the top brass of the Democratic Party, the chattering pundit class, and Hollywood millionaires like George Clooney clueless rich people who are not attuned to the common man. But the media is just doing its job by reporting the truth and the top Dems are justifiably nervous about Biden's ability to defeat Trump and consequently, their ability to take back the House and keep the Senate.

Biden Debate Debacle, Trump Immunity Decision

It is with great difficulty that I write about the current state of the presidential election. Last Thursday, I had no plans to watch the debate with Biden and Trump. I knew it was going to be unbearable no matter what happened. I couldn't stand to see Trump lying and I feared Biden would appear too old for the job. So I decided to see another form of political theater and attended N/A, Mario Correa's two-character play about Nancy Pelosi and my Congressperson Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. But the reality of the debate was a hundred times worse than my fears. The play was only 80 minutes and it was still light out when it finished at 8:30. By the time I got home, there was still 30 minutes left in the debate and Biden was wobbly, hesitant, appeared confused and spoke in a whisper. He was like a a doddering, tired old man who needed a nap. Trump continued to lie his ass off, but no one was paying attention to that since that's what he always does. 

I was heartened by Biden's speech the next day in Raleigh, NC where he was energetic and focused. But then I heard reports that he is on point only during the day and at night he tends to slow down. A shockingly bad poll followed with over 70 percent saying they didn't think Biden was mentally fit to for his office. Of course, they were not asked if they still vote for him or not given the alternative.

Cries for Biden to step aside started right away and have intensified. Today's Supreme Court ruling that Trump has some immunity in the Jan. 6 case further confounds the picture. Scotus did not say which of his acts are official and which are not, leaving that to the district court, further delaying the case. A delay is considered a win for Trump. It's obvious to me that scheming to put in fake electors and encouraging an insurrection are NOT official acts and he should be tried for them.

But Trump's sentencing in the hush money case is coming up next week. Hopefully, it will be severe, but I have a feeling there will be no jail time.

Things don't look good. Frankly, Biden should have dropped out a year ago so a viable Democratic candidate could emerge. If I were an average voter, paying more attention to prime-time Let's Make a Deal than to politics and having no convictions, I would say, "Look, I don't like Trump, but Biden is a tired old man. At least Trump is awake. I don't care that he slept with Stormy Daniels and paid her money to shut up about it. And so what if he kept some documents and stored them in the shower. What difference does it make. I'll hold my nose and vote for the convicted felon. Or I'll stay home and watch The Price Is Right." 

I have a bad feeling Biden is not going to drop out. Maybe it won't make a difference, but I tremble to think what happens if he goes through with another debate in September.

Book Review: A Very Stable Genius: Donald J. Trump's Testing of America

(Bought at Central Books used bookstore in Doylestown, Pa for $4.95) Maybe I'm a masochist, but I felt I needed to read as many books about Trump as possible in order to understand what's going on right now and to be prepared if anyone tries to get into an argument with me about his lack of fitness for office. I bought this book thinking it would cover Trump's actions after he lost the 2020 election, but it was published before then and only goes up to the end of 2019. The Mueller report is the framing device for this overview of the first three years of Trump's erratic, impulse-driven administration. Rucker and Leonnig are experienced, detail-oriented reporters for the Washington Post and they deliver a dense, insightful accounting of his petty, ill-informed governance style. Cabinet members and administrators come and go like riders on an out-of-control merry-go-round. Policy decision are made off the cuff without research or advice from experienced experts. It's all Trump's gut and how he feels at any given moment. I wish I had kept a list of his bad decisions and actions, but I have a life.

A few that stood out for me: believing Kim Jong Un had nothing to do with the death of American prisoner Otto Warmbier (and not getting any sort of a treaty with Kim); withdrawing from Syria and lying to American troops that they only received a raise because he authorized it when it fact they had been getting raises for decades; believing Putin over his own intelligence agencies about Russian interference with the 2016 election. And that's not even counting the blunders of the COVID pandemic which happened after the book came out.

Current polls show Trump leading Biden. This is terrifying. Trump is reckless and dangerous. Just today on MSNBC, Anne Applebaum of the Atlantic convincingly argued that if elected, Trump will pull us out of NATO which could be catastrophic for the world balance of power and embolden Putin to take more than Ukraine. If you care about women's reproductive rights, you can kiss them goodbye. Look at what just happened in Texas. A woman whose health would be seriously impacted unless she gets an abortion was turned down by the state supreme court. Liz Chaney has said we are sleepwalking to a dictatorship. I can see backing a Republican like Nikki Haley if you are a conservative, but why would you willingly vote in a wanna-be dictator? And don't forget there will be no "adults in the room" this time. Just lapdogs and sychophants. This book documents Trump's reckless, ill-informed behavior. It's a warning and more people should read it instead of carping about false issues like Biden's age, transgender youth in sports or a bad economy which even Fox News admits is really doing well.

Thoughts on 2024, Trump and the Fate of Democracy

On Jan. 6, 2021, if you told me that we'd be where we are today, I wouldn't have believed you. Well, maybe I would since our current political mess derives from the gullibility and blindness of a big swatch of the American voting public. About 30 percent still believes Trump's huge lies about the 2020 presidential election being rigged against him and that he did absolutely nothing wrong, legally, ethically, or morally in its aftermath. 

But here we are with the very real possibility that the Cheeto Julius Caesar could return to office in 2024. It's not impossible. Biden's age, voter indifference and whatever the shiny object of the moment will be next November could combine to propel Trumpy back into the White House. Hopefully that won't happen, but it's not out of the question.

Rematch in 2024: Good Grandpa Vs. Evil Grandpa

Rematch in 2024?

While waiting for a doctor's appointment, I overheard a conversation among three people--one older white male, a late-middle-aged African-American woman, and her elderly father. After praising the doctor they had come to see, the white guy steered the talk to the sorry state of our country and our world. The Dalai Lama saying saying suggestive to a young boy, mass shootings, crime, inflation, etc. The usual. He then proceeded to trash Biden, listing examples of the President's failing memory and supposed advanced state of senility. In a speech, the prez mistook a woman who was dead as being still among us. He seemed lost at a state meeting. You get the idea. "And this is our president," the white gentleman dismissively complained. The elderly black gentleman and his daughter agreed we are in a sorry state, but they did not agree or disagree with the white guy about Biden. Of course, I tactfully did not say anything, being seated several chairs away. If I were right next to them, I might have said "Would you rather have Trump? Because that was the choice--and it's probably going to be the choice again in 2024." Of course, the man could have been disliked Trump too and be one of those people who thinks all politicians are awful and we're basically doomed.

Recent Encounters with Derangement

MAGA Protests in Wisconsin

While strolling through the streets of Portland, Maine where I am vacationing, I passed three sane-looking people who were carrying a large banner and some signs. When they unfurled it in the middle of a public square, the banner read "F**k Joe Biden and F**k You If You Voted for Him." I wisely held my tongue and kept walking as they gestured to passing cars to honk if the drivers agreed with their heinous message. 

In another recent encounter with derangement, I was waiting for my physical therapy appointment in Rego Park, Queens. The waiting room was filled with patients, all masked as per the office's requirements. Two workmen entered and explained to the receptionist-office manager they were repairing the air conditioning in the building next door and needed access to this building. The receptionist said fine, but they would need to wear a mask (This was about two months ago when the COVID transmission rate was still relatively high in NYC.) The younger workman got his back up and refused to don a mask. Another patient tried to calm him down, saying "Look, man, I agree with you, but just put on the mask. It's her office." The workman's older colleague also attempted to get him to comply, but the younger guy spouted ignorant misinformation and blustered in outrage that he was being asked to cover up. 

Impeachment as Therapy

The night before he was inaugurated, President-Elect Joseph Biden and Vice President-Elect Kamala Harris held a beautiful, touching memorial service for those lost to COVID. That's something Trump never did because he didn't want to recognize the national trauma the pandemic caused. If he did, he would have to admit it was a trauma which occurred on his watch and that his inaction contributed to it. Similarly, the events on Jan. 6, 2021 were a national trauma provoked by Trump's failure as a president and national healer. The insurrection was an assault on all of America by a crazed, bloodthirsty mob. I remember feeling as if I had been attacked and brutalized, even though I wasn't there. (I remember thinking, "I am living in a third-world country or a nation about to be taken over by the Nazis?") My congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez spoke of surviving a sexual assault and how the events of that day triggered her feelings of danger and violation. That's what Trump's mob did to us and the impeachment trial in the Senate, even though it resulted in a second acquittal of the Orange Menace, was important so we can acknowledge that trauma and deal with it. Just like Biden's COVID memorial was a step towards healing, the House Managers' presentation were a vital move towards coming together.

Inauguration and Insurrection

On Inauguration Day, when Brian Williams called him "President Biden" instead of "President-Elect Biden" for the first time, I nearly wept with joy. I was similarly close to tears during the singing of the National Anthem by Lady Gaga. As she got to the line "Gave proof through the night that our flag was still there," she turned to the flag waving behind her and gestured towards it as if acknowledging that two weeks ago, a mob of right-wing thugs stormed the very building where she was standing and attempted to take over our democratic government in the name of a huge, brazen lie. But the flag and our country as we know it was still there. 

We have replaced a drunken uncle (Trump) with a compassionate grandfather (Biden). Yes, I know Trump does not drink alcohol but he was drunk with power, pouring gasoline on our government after covering it with the dry tinder of Twitter and fake news. Then on the morning of Jan. 6 in front of the crowd he had called to Washington and stirred up in a frenzy, he struck the match of incitement and threw it on the pile. His demurs of innocence afterwards are disingenuous at best and downright evil at worst. "Oh I didn't know this match would start a fire. I'm not a scientist." Hours into the siege he made a video and said he loved the rioters and called them "special people." His daughter called them patriots on Twitter, but quickly took that post down. 

McTrump: A Shakespearean Farce, Act IV

My Shakepearean tragedy of McTrump is nearing its end. Well, the end of his presidency anyway, since the Trump administration is finally drawing to a close but the Orange Pig is determined not to go gentle into that good night. I started the satire right after Trumpy was inaugurated in 2017 with previous David Desk blog posts, and included references to the Scottish play, King Lear, Hamlet, Julius Caesar, and Richard III. Links to Act I, Act II, Act III, and Act III, Scene 2.

Here is the Fourth Act of McTrump

Scene: The White House and McBiden's home in Delaware on opposite sides of the stage, McTrump is being armored for battle by Giuliani, his groveling, troll-like toady.

McTrump: I have no fear of McBiden. The weird sisters prophesied that no man of liberal born could defeat me. Also that I need not tremble until mailboxes and ballots move to Washington. And that will never be.

Giuliani: Aye, my lord, thou art invincible. Armed with the might of rumor, lies and deceit, thou shalt reign in this divided land another four years.

McTrump: Quiet, sycophant! Spray more tan on my noble visage, tis too pale by half.

Giuliani: Aye, my good lord.

McTrump: And you could use a touch-up on that hair. What about McBiden's troublesome offspring. Hast thou gleaned any dirt on him. Hast been to Ukraine e'en and thy expensive voyage have thus far come to naught.

Giuliani: Do not blame me for Ukraine, McTrump! I was just following orders.

McTrump: Shut up or no pardon for thou.

Bury My Heart at Four Seasons Total Landscaping

The infamous press conference at Four Seasons
Total Landscaping

I should be happy at the results of the 2020 Presidential election, but Donald Trump spoils everything. He can't even lose the right way. Instead of graciously admitting defeat and turning over the reigns of power as almost all of his predecessors did, he vomits up vile conspiracy theories, incites violence and death threats against innocent poll workers, and threatens the very foundations of our republic. And, no, MAGA morons, I am not being hysterical. An astonishing 70 per cent of Republicans actually believe his crap that the election was rigged and Biden is not the legitimate winner. 

State of the Election: Post Office, Boat Parades, etc.

Labor Day Random observations on the state of the election as summer ends:

It's pretty clear what Trump is up to. With his constant badmouthing of mail-in voting and interference with the post office, he hopes to skew the election his way. His nonstop, baseless claims that mail-in balloting is rife with fraud is a signal to his zombie base to vote in person and risk their lives due to COVID. It seems to be working. Polls show only about 30 percent of Republicans plan to vote by mail. Meanwhile approximately 70 percent Democrats plan to use absentee or mail-in voting. Trumpy's plan is have the lead on election night via in-person voting, then Biden will surge ahead in the days that follow as the mail vote is counted (some states allow up to three weeks for mailed-in ballots to be counted as long as they are postmarked on election day.) He'll claim victory on election night and say the subsequent votes are illegal. He'll go to court and drag this thing out as long as possible, casting doubt on the results. I hope I'm wrong, but 2020 will make 2000 look like a model of order and decorum. If it goes to the Supreme Court as in Bush-Gore, I think Roberts will want to protect his legacy and vote for Biden if the votes breaks that way.